


Find Your Way Back

by where_the_stars_shine



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Amnesia, F/F, F/M, Genderbending, Genderswap, Magic, fem!Hook
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-02
Updated: 2016-03-10
Packaged: 2018-05-23 18:15:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6125655
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/where_the_stars_shine/pseuds/where_the_stars_shine
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hook turns up in Manhattan but isn't quite himself. An adventure, or something, ensues.</p><p>*takes places after "Going Home" (season three, episode eleven)*</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Strange Woman

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I'm not really quite sure where I'm going to take this story yet, but hopefully, you all like it! Feedback is truly appreciated! Please enjoy! :)

Cold, wet, and hard. That's what it was.

And something was throbbing.

The air was cold and brisk. It had rained the night before, leaving a slight dampness to everything and making the ground a little slippery. The trees dropped beads of water onto the woman running through Central Park. She ignored the rain water that splashed on the back of her legs and leggings and zipped her red athletic jacket up further as she ran through the park with her long blonde ponytail whipping in the wind; she sped past the other runners, past the couples holding hands on benches, past the kids playing in the wet grass, past the person slumped on the ground. 

Wait, person slumped on the ground? The runner stopped in her tracks and turned around slowly, looking at the person curiously. She looked around to see if anyone else saw it or was trying to help it. Either way, it appeared that no one was doing either. She cautiously walked towards it, not knowing what to expect but knowing that she couldn't just leave this person on the ground. She stood next to it and gently nudged the person with her sneaker. 

"Hello? Can you hear me?"

The person began to stir but didn't get up from the uncomfortable pavement, which was cold and wet from the rainstorm of the previous night. She cringed in pain as she stirred, curling further into a ball, despite the dull and throbbing pain that was spreading throughout her body.

The runner nudged her again, this time kneeling down next to her and gently shaking her with her hands to wake her. She had never encountered a seemingly unconscious person laying on the ground in the park, which she supposed was a good thing, but she was beginning to become concerned with the woman's limited movement and didn't know how to get her attention. She settled for the easiest option and decided to speak up and just ask her about the situation.

"Hello? Are you alright?"

The woman shifted again on the pavement, moving to face the opposite direction of the runner, but she still refused to get up and started mumbling quietly. The runner observed the woman on the ground, taking in her appearance from their close proximity. The woman was wearing a completely leather outfit, unlike that of anyone in New York City, which consisted of pants, boots, a cape, and a shirt, and wore a skull necklace around her neck. Her long, black, and wavy hair was plastered to her body, assumedly by sweat, which began to concern the runner. No matter why she was sweating, be it the completely leather outfit or another reason, there was a problem. 

"Hey - please wake up," she begged, frantically nudging the woman.

The runner moved back as the woman truly began to wake up and push herself up off of the pavement. She paused to catch her breath and brush her hair back off of her face and out of her eyes, which she opened seconds later. The crystal blue eyes of the woman glanced quickly at the runner and then shot back to study herself. She moved her right hand around in front of her face, flexing and curling her fingers. She then wiggled her toes inside of her boots and scanned her outfit, looking curiously between herself and the bystanders around her, noting the difference immediately. She glanced back to the runner with a question on her lips about her current situation, but was deterred by the runner's expression; she was staring wide-eyed at the woman's left hand. She looked to her left hand and screamed, beginning to shake and unable to say a word.

Sitting right where the woman's left hand should be was a shiny silver hook. She covered her mouth with her right hand to contain her whimpers and tried to move away from the hook, with no success. 

"Hey hey hey, it's okay," the runner said, quickly moving to place her hand gently on the woman's arm, stopping her in her tracks. She began to comfort the woman and managed to convince her to pull her hand away from her mouth.

"What's your name?" she asked the woman.

Her eyes widened in fear. "I-I don't know," she responded in an Irish brogue, tears quickly filling her eyes which searched the runner's green eyes desperately for answers.

The runner's heart broke for this woman; she had just awakened in the middle of Central Park and knew nothing of where she was or why she was there. The runner couldn't imagine what that felt like. "Don't worry. We'll figure it out. We'll figure everything out," she murmured gently, rubbing the woman's arm to comfort her.

The woman seemed to be convinced that the runner was telling the truth and began to relax. She took a shaky breath and asked softly, "What's your name?"

"I'm Emma. Emma Swan," she replied, "and I'm going to help you." Emma pushed herself up from the ground and held out a hand to the woman, nodding to it for her to grasp. She cautiously took it and allowed herself to be pulled up from the ground. Emma stared at her, taking in her outfit again, now fully visible. _What the...? Her outfit must be a costume. Either that, or she's a vampire. Or pirate._ Emma chuckled quietly, and noticing the look on the woman's face, shook herself out of her thoughts.

"Now tell me, what do you remember?" Emma asked, tugging the woman along with her as she began walking through the park, weaving through the throngs of people that had gathered around them. "Everything's okay! No need to worry!" she shouted at the crowd, watching it disperse before moving on. "Come on," she said to the woman, who was looking at the dispersion of people in curiosity. She continued to tug the woman along for a bit, until she stumbled in her tracks and stopped. She turned around and watched the woman inquisitively take in the scenery around them. She looked around in awe, taking in the sight of the enormous skyscrapers and towering trees. She noticed the amount of people and was amazed by all of their different activities and pastimes.

She turned to Emma with a silly smile on her face. "Where am I?" she asked in amazement.

"You, my new friend, are in Central Park, in the middle of Manhattan. This is New York City!" she exclaimed, gesturing wildly with her arms and shaking the woman's in the process.

"New York City," she murmured, testing the words out on her tongue. "It's nice. I quite like the scenery," she replied, resuming her walk with Emma.

"So where are we going?" the woman asked Emma, stepping quickly to walk in line with her. "Home. My home," she replied, continuing to guide her along. Emma stopped suddenly and pulled the woman back onto the curb as a car sped by. The woman's eyes widened as she turned to Emma.

"What was that?" she asked, frozen in her spot on the corner of the curb, catching her breath.

"That was a taxi," Emma replied, looking down the street to make sure the road was clear to cross. The woman knit her brows in confusion.

"A taxi? What is a taxi?"

Emma turned to the woman in bewilderment. Seeing that she was serious, Emma started laughing and shook her head in amusement. "You have sooooo much to learn," she said, once again wondering what had happened to this woman.

Once the coast was clear, Emma pulled the woman across the street until they were safely to the other side. Once there, Emma turned to her as they walked towards the apartment. "What do you remember, if anything?" she asked gently, not wanting to pry but trying to fill in the blanks.

The woman began to scratch her head in thought and then froze, realizing in horror, that she was using the hook. She stopped in her tracks and lowered the hook slowly to her side, keeping it glued there so she couldn't use it anymore. Emma stopped walking too, looking at the woman in concern. She stood there uncomfortably for a moment and then took a deep breath.

"To be honest, I don't really remember much. This is going to sound crazy, but the only thing I remember is being dropped from the sky and landing on the pavement. I think that's why I'm a little sore and I feel like my entire body is throbbing," she finished, chuckling darkly.

Emma pondered this for a moment. "Well, I'm going to do my best to help you remember. Let's keep going. We're nearly there," she said, optimistically. There was nothing that Emma couldn't fix or solve.

Emma gently tugged the woman forward again, to the path towards her apartment. The woman analyzed Emma as she led her to her apartment and was in awe of her kindness. She couldn't help but wonder why she was helping her or why she was dressed so differently than everyone else or why she couldn't remember anything or why she had a hook or why...

"Oof!" the woman exclaimed, accidentally bumping into Emma. "I'm sorry, I got lost in my thoughts and wasn't paying attention," she blurted quickly and apologetically. Emma rolled her eyes at the woman.

"It's really not a big deal. And we're here," she said, smiling and dropping the woman's hand to open the wrought iron gate in front of the building and head to the main door of the apartment building. The woman followed her through the gate and paused in the middle of the walkway, gazing up at the top of the building and trying not to worry or freak out. She steeled herself, pushing her shoulders back and standing up tall, and followed Emma through the door, to the unknown.

********************

Emma threw open the door to her apartment, slamming it into the wall and causing the woman to jump in fright. Emma turned to the woman apologetically, having heard her squeak of fright. “Sorry about that,” she said sheepishly.

The woman followed Emma into her apartment and shut the door quietly behind her. The apartment was well decorated and very spacious, and included separate areas for living and dining. It was very organized - it didn’t appear to have anything out of place nor any dust. 

She continued to scan the room and noticed that there seemed to be two of everything. Two coats hanging, two video game controllers, two place settings…

“Henry?!” Emma called out, her voice echoing in the large space. “We have a guest!”

Emma unzipped her jacket and hung it on the back of the chairs at the island of the kitchen, revealing the black athletic tank she was wearing underneath.

The woman looked around for this so-called Henry, still standing awkwardly in the doorway of the apartment and feeling very out of place. “Come on,” Emma said teasingly, grabbing the woman’s hand and guiding her into the apartment. “You don’t have to be scared. We won’t hurt you,” she explained, as a young boy ran into the room.

“Mom!” the boy shouted, running at his mom and giving her waist a hug. He looked at the woman, quickly scanning her appearance. “Who’s that? She looks sort of familiar,” he stated, scrunching his eyes in thought.

The woman just stared at him. “You know who I am?” she asked, excitedly.

The boy shook his head. “No, I don’t think so, maybe just a faint memory. A person in passing. I’m sorry,” Henry said unhappily. He turned to his mother. “So what is she doing here?”

Emma rubbed his arm. “She’s going to stay with us for a bit. I found her laying unconscious in the park. We’re going to figure out what happened to her and how she got here,” she finished, giving her a smile.

The woman stood awkwardly and self-consciously in the middle of the room, feeling both overly dressed and naked at the same time, with both Emma and Henry’s stares boring into her. 

“What should we call you? I know you don’t know your name, but we need something to call you,” Emma stated.

“Oh! What about Hook?” Henry exclaimed. “You know? Because of your hook?” he gestured towards it.

Emma turned to face the woman and hesitated. “Would that be okay?” she asked gently.

The woman nodded. “Aye, as you wish,” she said, taking a deep breath. “It seems as though this hook will be with me for a while, so I might as well embrace it,” she stated confidently, standing up straighter.

“Hook, make yourself at home,” Emma said, gesturing towards the sofa and living area. 

She paused, still hesitant. Emma and Henry gave her expectant looks, so she proceeded to the couch and threw her bag on the end of it, missing the photograph that floated out of it. Hook sat uncomfortably and tensely on the edge of the couch, while Emma took the chair next to her.

“Henry, could you grab some glasses of water for each of us?”

After grabbing the water and giving a glass to each of them, he spotted the photograph and picked it up.

“Hey, Mom? Is this yours?” he passed the photograph to her, flipping it so the picture faced up to her.

She shook her head. “No, I’ve never seen this picture or this man in my life.” She analyzed Hook, who was looking expectantly at her, waiting.

“Is this yours? The man sort of looks like you. Maybe a brother?” Hook took the picture from her and looked closely at it. Staring up at her was a man; blue eyes, black hair but shorter, leather outfit, similar expression. She shrugged.

“Is that what I look like? But female? Well I’m bloody attractive,” she proclaimed, smirking. 

“There it is! That look in the picture!” Henry shouted, trying to put the pieces together. Hook clenched her jaw, the muscles moving rapidly. She sighed.

“I don’t remember anything, and it’s bloody frustrating,” she cried, grabbing at her hair. She took a moment to untangle her hook from her hair. “And this is frustrating too,” she exclaimed, gesturing towards the hook.

“Maybe we’ll find some clues in your bag?” Emma suggested. Hook shrugged.

“It’s worth a shot,” she said, dumping the contents out onto the sofa. Only two things fell out, a baggage tag and a flask. Henry snagged the tag, which had a name on it.

“Hmmm, Jones? Ring a bell?” 

Hook shook her head. “Unfortunately, not at all.”

Emma picked up the flask in amusement. “And the flask? Anything?”

Hook shook her head again. “Nope. But that doesn’t mean I won’t take it,” she said, smirking again and taking it from Emma to take a long swig. 

“Ah, rum, my favorite,” she said, with a smile. 

“Wait! Your favorite? You remembered something!” Henry shouted in excitement. 

Hook’s eyes widened. “You think so?! Maybe it’s a sign? I would love to remember. I would love to remember everything.”

Emma stepped in at this point. “Now wait a minute. I don’t want to be a Debby Downer but let’s not get our hopes up just yet.”

Hook crinkled her eyes in confusion. “Debby Downer?”

“It’s an expression,” she explained. Hook raised her eyebrows. 

“I’ll explain later,” she said, waving it off. "Let’s get you into some normal clothes, so you can blend in, and then we can try to help you remember,” she said, standing up and motioning for Hook to follow.

She followed Emma to her bedroom and stopped in the doorway. Emma turned and looked at her. “You know you can come in, right?”

“I just, uh, didn’t want to encroach on your privacy.” She remained in the doorway, fidgeting uncomfortably. Emma scoffed.

“Come on,” she said, reaching for Hook’s arm. “We need to get you some less showy clothes,” she said, looking over Hook, eyes landing on her breasts in her low-cut, leather shirt. She glanced up quickly, turning slightly red.

Hook crossed her legs and leaned on the wall. “Like what you see, love?” Emma rolled her eyes and chuckled sarcastically.

“Ha, ha, ha. Get over here. We’re shaped a little differently, so some of my clothes won’t fit, but there should be enough that will work for you,” she retorted. Hook nodded and walked closer.

“Really, thank you for everything, darling. I don’t understand why you’re helping me, but I really appreciate it,” Hook replied appreciatively, looking over Emma’s wardrobe.

Emma stepped back and let Hook pick some clothes that looked like they might fit. 

“I’ll give you some space,” she said, leaving the room. “Just holler if you need anything.”

“Thank you,” she said, nodding graciously.

And with that, Emma left Hook to take care of her new wardrobe needs.


	2. A Grilled Cheese and a New World

It was 6:30am. Brightness flooded into the room through the curtains, directly towards the face of the person laying in the guest bed. Hook groaned, quickly turning to lay on her other side to avoid the rays of the sun, and pulled the blue and white anchor covers over her head. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut, attempting to ignore the brightness of the room and hoping that she could fall asleep again. 

She was able to salvage 30 more minutes of sleep before her alarm went off at 7:00. She quickly slammed her hand into, having learned a few mornings prior that jamming her hook into it would just crush the alarm into small beeping pieces, rather than stop it. She succeeded in turning it off and sat up, attempting to rub the sleep out of her eyes with her hand and the hookless socket attached to her other arm. She also learned that the hook needed to be removed before she fell asleep, or she might accidentally rip the sheets apart. Not that that had happened, or anything (exactly 3 whole times).

"Hook?!" she jumped in her seated position on the bed, still not quite used to living in the apartment with other people. "I'm starting breakfast!" the voice called from the other room.

She took her time getting up, by pulling on a pair of sweatpants, righting her t-shirt to its proper position, and slipping on a pair of slippers. _Why the bloody hell am I awake right now?_ She softly and grumpily padded into the kitchen, surprised to see Henry behind the stove (she thinks that's what it's called). 

"Henry! You're only a child, you shouldn't be cooking by yourself!" she exclaimed, rushing over to him, trying to grab his arm but realizing that she forgot to put in her hook. She rolled her eyes and stepped back, crossing her arms across her chest and staring at Henry. He crossed his arms and stared right back.

"I'm 12, not 2. My mom taught me how to use the stove. Besides, I'm making grilled cheese. It's not difficult," he retorted, quickly turning back to tend to the sandwiches.

Hook raised her eyebrows in surprise and backed away, sitting on a stool at the counter. "Grilled cheese, for breakfast? Is this a usual occurrence?" Hook asked, tapping her fingers on the counter.

Henry shrugged. "Not usually. But it's the only thing I know how to make by myself. It's my mom's favorite dish, so she makes it a lot, and I observe," he said, while flipping over the grilled cheeses. Hooked hummed in response, impressed with Henry's skill.

"Speaking of your mom, where is she?" Hook asked curiously. She was already starting to miss Emma's presence and goodness. She was just so kind to her and was so helpful. In fact, so was Henry. They both explained the foreign objects in their apartment to Hook, since she apparently seemed to know nothing about New York, which ruled out Hook ever living there. She just didn't understand how anyone could ever be so kind; it was quite shocking to her.

"She went for her daily run. She should be back soon," Henry said, shaking Hook out of her thoughts. He turned off the burners and grabbed two plates.

"Daily run?" Did Emma really go on daily runs? Hook hadn't seen her out of the house since she had arrived in New York, just a few days ago.

"Yeah, she runs every day. Well, almost every day. She's stayed home since you came, to make sure that you're okay and all settled in. She figured that if she left for an hour or so, I'd be capable enough to hold down the fort while she was gone," Henry replied, smiling at the amount of responsibility with which his mother was trusting him.

Hook smiled at Henry's happiness. "Well, I'm glad your mother got a moment to herself," she declared, graciously accepting the grilled cheese that Henry was offering her. "How long is she usually out?"

"Around an hour. She should be back soon," Henry said, glancing at the clock on the microwave. It was now 7:15. He stepped down to the lower level of the apartment and turned on the television. He threw himself onto the couch and began fiddling around with the remotes. Hook followed, sitting more gently on the couch, and began watching Henry curiously.

"What are you-?"

"Aha! I got it to work!" Henry exclaimed, cutting Hook off. Hook glanced between Henry and the colorful box sitting a few feet away. She became frustrated very easily in New York because she didn't know what to call things or what they actually did. And she absolutely hated not being in control. She wanted answers, but she had no idea how to get them and didn't know if she would like what she found.

"And what is that thing called again?" she asked, sheepishly pointing at the box.

Henry didn't mind helping Hook understand modern technology; it was fun for him to explain what a television or a toaster or an X-box is. He still couldn't shake this feeling that he had somehow met her before, though. He knew that he hadn't, but there was something familiar about her that he couldn't wrap his head around.

"It's called a television. Or a TV. Whatever's easier."

She nodded in thanks, mulling over his words in her mind. _A television. What a strange name. What a strange object. What a strange new world._ She took a bite of her grilled cheese, lost in thought over her strange new life in New York.

********************

Hook jolted up from the couch, dropping her plate and her leftover grilled cheese in her lap. She frantically scrambled up and took a moment to absorb her surroundings. _Emma's apartment. That's where I am. No need to worry._ Her breathing slowed and she began to relax again, but paused with a quick glance to the digital clock on the colorful box, er, the TV.

9:00?!?! _Where is Emma? Why isn't she back yet? Henry said she would be back soon, and that was nearly two hours ago!_ Hook started pacing, and her thoughts ran wild with fear, unsure of Emma's safety or location. Hook felt an indescribable pull towards Emma's essence; she wasn't sure why, but now that she had met Emma, she couldn't let her go. She could never willingly leave Emma or Henry, but she had no specific reasoning for why.

Hook stopped her pacing for a moment and noticed that Henry had also dozed off on the couch but had yet to wake up.

"Henry," Hook hissed. "Wake up." She shook him roughly to get him up quickly.

Henry slapped Hook's hand away. He shoved his head into a pillow and mumbled something unintelligible. 

"Henry! Please wake up!" Hook shouted at him frantically. "I'm going to get dressed and you had better be awake when I'm finished," she pleaded, rushing off into her room. She threw on a pair of jeans, motorcycle boots, a white t-shirt, and a leather jacket. _Something doesn't feel right; what am I forgetting?_ She frantically tapped the hookless socket against her chin. Oh!

Hook grinned, mentally smacking herself over the head because _duh_ , and grabbed her hook, quickly twisting it into the socket. 

"HENRY!" Hook bellowed as she sprinted into the main area of the apartment.

"What?!" Henry's head popped up over the edge of the couch. Hook sent him a menacing look, one of extreme warning. She was not in the mood to tolerate Henry's sleepy attitude right now. Henry's eyes widened, quickly receiving Hook's unspoken message. He scrambled over the back of the couch and rolled off onto the kitchen floor.

"Get dressed quickly. We need to find your mother," Hook demanded, immediately fearing that the worst had happened to Emma.

"Hook," Henry started, laying a hand on her arm, "I'm sure my mom is fine. Please, don't do anything irrational. Maybe she stopped to buy groceries or..."

Hook narrowed her eyes at Henry. "Aye, love, go on. Or what?" 

Henry looked guiltily at the floor. "Mom may have mentioned going somewhere to look for more information about you and your lost identity and memories." Henry rocked back and forth on his heels, shifting his eyes around the room to avoid eye contact with Hook. Hook knelt down and cupped Henry's face with her good hand, bringing it to face her.

"Do you know where?" She held Henry's gaze, neither person breaking eye contact. Henry frantically shook his head.

"I-I'm sorry. I don't know," he looked sadly at his feet. 

Hook patted his shoulder reassuringly. "I'm sure your mom is fine," she said, not entirely sure that the reassurance was only for Henry's sake, "but it worries me that she didn't say where she was going or how long she would definitely be out. Get dressed - we're going to go help her."

Henry scurried off while Hook wandered around the main area of the apartment. _Now if I was Emma, where would I write down important and necessary information?_ Hook stopped in front of the fridge and found herself staring straight at an address being hung with a magnet. 89 Wooster Street, New York, NY, 10012. Right in plain sight.

She grabbed the paper off of the fridge and took a spare copy of the apartment key from the hallway table. Henry ran out of his room, still pulling on a jacket and trying to push his feet into his shoes. He ran up to Hook and stood next to her, looking up.

"Tell me, Henry, are you ready for an adventure?"

********************

"Hey you! Get the hell out of the road! What do you think you're doing?!" Car horns beeped and car brakes screeched as the taxis, buses, and various cars swerved to avoid Hook and Henry in the middle of the busy streets of New York.

Henry grabbed Hook's arm and dragged her to the sidewalk. He glared up at her as she looked around, still trying to find the address. Henry grabbed both of her arms and shook, as hard as he possibly could. She looked down at him in surprise.

"I'm the one from New York! I may not be an adult, but I know that YOU DON'T STAND IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD. You could be **_killed_** or seriously, seriously injured. Let me show you around. You're just a newbie here, so **don't** do anything stupid. Come on," he finished, dragging Hook behind him.

Hook stumbled along behind Henry, clutching Henry's hand. Henry wove through cars and people alike, cutting through alleys and rushing through traffic, until he skidded to a stop in front of a very tall, gated building.

"Here it is," Henry panted, leaning over to catch his breath. Hook found herself staring once again up at an enormous building. She pushed her shoulders back and moved forward to push open the door -

"HELP! HELP ME!" someone shrieked - and Hook moved back, instantly searching for the eerily familiar cry for help. _Emma...no, no, no, no._

Hook took off in the direction of the noise and Henry scrambled to catch up with her. "What's going on?" he cried, sprinting to keep Hook's pace. Hook turned into the alley closest to the apartment building and stopped at the opening. Emma was facing Hook, and two men, based on their builds, dressed in all black and wearing ski masks. Hook was going to kill them. She would murder them if they laid a hand on Emma. 

Emma stood with her knees bent, ready to fight the two men as they stepped closer to her.

"Emma!" Hook shouted, causing the two assailants to turn around. Emma smiled graciously and kicked one in the back of the knee, knocking him to the ground. 

"Henry, love, stay back," Hook demanded, pushing him away from the scene. Henry stood further back in the opening of the alley, watching from afar.

Hook stepped up and swung her hook at the assailant's face. She managed to scratch his face but also made him very angry. He grabbed her hook and twisted, pulling it out of the socket. Her face grew red with anger and she reached towards her belt for a sword. _A sword? What the hell? Where did that thought come from?_

She quickly shook this thought and kicked him in the shin, punching him in the face as he fell down. She grabbed her hook from him and twisted it in, kicking him in the chest to make sure he stayed down. 

"Emma! Are you alright, love?!" Hook rushed over to her, lending Emma her hand. Emma looked at Hook strangely, recognition flashing across her face quickly. _I definitely know her! Why can't either of us remember it though?_ Emma pushed these thoughts aside, quickly putting a smile on her face and grabbing Hook's hand.

"I'm fine. What about you? Where did you learn to fight like that?" 

"I...don't know," Hook said in defeat, as she grasped Emma's hand and led her back to Henry.

"Let's just go home," Emma said, moving to hug Henry and put a hand on his shoulder. Hook laid her hand over Emma's, and they walked the entire way back to Emma's apartment, in this embrace.


End file.
